🐾 Paws-itively Puzzling! 🐾
FAQs for Pet Parents
1. Does my pet even need vitamins and supplements? 🤔
Every pet is one-of-a-kind, and a well-rounded diet typically covers most of their nutritional needs. However, supplements can be a lifesaver for filling in any gaps, especially considering:
- Age: Just like humans, pups and seniors have different dietary requirements. While pups thrive on growth support, seniors may benefit from joint or cognitive supplements to keep up with their golden years.
- Lifestyle: Whether your dog prefers lounging or long runs, their activity level affects their nutrient needs. Active dogs may benefit from additional support with Flexi-Joints for dogs or Flexi-Joints Plus
- Diet: Even the most carefully crafted homemade diets can miss the mark on certain nutrients. Supplements act as a safety net to ensure your furry friend gets everything they need for a happy, healthy life.
2. How can these vitamins and supplements support my pet's health? ✨
Think of it as giving your pawed partner a boost! The right ones can:
- Provide Stress Relief: Keep those stressful situations at bay!
- Transform skin and coat health: Bid Farewell to those pesky dry, itchy woes!
- Support joint health: Keep those zoomies zooming!
- Enhance digestion: No more tummy troubles!
- Promote Wellbeing: Keep your pet feeling mentally sharp and emotionally balanced!
3. Are all pet vitamins and supplements created equal? 🐶
Absolutely not! Just like selecting the perfect chew toy, the quality of pet supplements can vary wildly. When shopping, keep an eye out for:
- Age specific formulas
- Clear ingredient lists
- Dosing based on your dog's weight and needs
4. Can I give my dog human vitamins instead of pet-specific ones? 🤔
While your pet might eye your multivitamin with envy, it's best to stick to pet-friendly formulas. Human vitamins might not have the right balance for your pet.
5. Bonus FAQ: Can pet vitamins and supplements help with specific behavioural issues, like anxiety? 🐕
Ah, the age-old question: What should I do to calm my pet's frazzled nerves? While creating a peaceful environment is important, certain vitamins and supplements are incredibly helpful in helping them relax.
For a gentle yet effective approach to calming your pet, try Magi-Calm! Crafted with calming ingredients like magnesium, chamomile, and B vitamins, it naturally soothes your pet's nerves. Ideal for stressful times or daily use, its delicious beef flavour ensures that this will be a vitamin your pet will beg for.
Pet Supplements
Like humans, pets can benefit from supplementing their diet with extra vitamins and minerals, particularly as they get older or when experiencing health issues such as painful joints. Supplements can also be beneficial for dogs living with separation anxiety, or to support training.
Bestsellers include Healthspan's range of Flexi-Joints products (including Flexi-Turmeric), Pet Pro Digest, which supports digestive and dental health, and Glossy Coat Omega, a blend of high-quality omegas to support your pet's skin, coat, heart, and brain health.
By keeping your pet in the best of health, you can help them get the most out of each day, and enjoy more of the things they love.
Types of Pet Supplements
The Healthspan range includes supplements for dogs and cats of all ages and breeds, available as tablets, capsules, and powders. All have a tasty chicken or beef flavour, and can either be given whole or added to food, because pets can be fussy!
Many of Healthspan's pet supplements come in different strengths and formulations, to provide preventative care to younger, healthier pets, as well as to support older pets with existing health issues. As an example, Flexi-Joints is an everyday, preventative joint health formulation for all dogs, while Flexi-Joints Plus provides a stronger option for older dogs, those with existing joint problems or breeds prone to joint issues.
Similarly, MultiVitality contains a blend of dog vitamins for young and adult dogs, while MultiVitality Senior is formulated for older dogs who, like humans, become less able to absorb and use vital nutrients as they age.
Supplements for Dogs
Whether you want to support their joints, heart health, coat and skin, digestion, or everyday vitality, there is a suitable dog supplement in the Healthspan range. To help you decide which is right for your pet, here is a breakdown of every dog vitamin – including their key benefits and strengths.
Dog joint health supplements
Keeping your dogs active and mobile is an important part of their everyday health and happiness. As a result, joint health is Healthspan's largest dog supplements category, and includes Flexi-Joints, Flexi-Joints Plus, Flexi-Turmeric and Flexi-Joints Treats.
In all these products, Healthspan exclusively uses glucosamine hydrochloride HCl which, thanks to patented technology, contains 40% more glucosamine than glucosamine sulphate 2KCl. Healthspan also uses chondroitin sulphate 90%, compared to the chondroitin 20% used by many other brands as a cheaper alternative.
Flexi-Joints Plus is the strongest supplement in the range, formulated to support older dogs, breeds prone to joint issues or those already experiencing problems.
Every tablet contains 500mg glucosamine, 100mg chondroitin and 200mg green-lipped mussel (a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids), backed up by 50mg vitamin C to support cartilage1 and 30iu vitamin E, which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
The tablets also contain manganese, to help support the maintenance of normal bones, plus 165mg brewer's yeast (a rich source of vitamins and minerals.)
The tablets have a tasty beef flavour and can be eaten whole or crumbled over food. Dosage can be tailored to all ages and size of dog, from puppies from 8 weeks of age to large breeds.
Flexi-Joints for Dogs is a medium-strength preventative joint care option, suitable for all dogs.
As well as 400mg glucosamine HCl and 75mg chondroitin, every tasty, beef-flavoured tablet contains 70mg brewer's yeast and vitamins C and E.
Two pack sizes – 120 or 240 tablets – mean that you can start small until your dog knows and loves their Flexi-Joints, after which you can start saving with the larger pack size.
Flexi-Turmeric for Dogs is one of the newest additions to the range, formulated to help provide support for active dogs. It can be taken alone, or as a perfect partner to Flexi-Joints or Flexi-Joints Plus.
Turmeric – a mild spice from the root of the Curcuma longa plant – contains high levels of curcuminoids, the powerful ingredient that has made turmeric a best-selling supplement for humans. Turmeric is also highly endorsed for pets by vet Richard Allport.
Every Flexi-Turmeric tablet contains 400mg high-strength turmeric, plus stomach-friendly vitamin C to aid your dog's joint and immune health. Brewer's yeast is added for taste, as well as vitamin B complex.
Tablets can be crumbled or given whole and are available in one pack size of 120.
Flexi-Joints Treats has been specially formulated for your dog's joints and tastebuds.
It contains joint health heroes glucosamine and chondroitin (both found naturally in cartilage, which cushions the joints), and turmeric, as well as collagen, which provides structure and strength around the joints.
Additional ingredients that help to support bone health, muscle function and the maintenance of normal connective tissues include omega 3, vitamin D, copper, manganese, and zinc,2 plus a probiotic strain for overall wellbeing.
Treats come in small bites, to ensure easy dosing for all sizes of dog and to help you maintain your dog's healthy calorie intake.
Dog multivitamins
Multivitamins are as important for dogs as they are for humans, and can help to provide a nutritional safety net. This can be particularly important for fussy eaters, active or working dogs, older pets, or those recovering from illness or injury. Healthspan provides two specially-tailored options depending on your dog's age and general health.
MultiVitality for Dogs is a gold-standard multivitamin to support the everyday health and vitality of young and middle-aged dogs.
18 essential vitamins and minerals – including vitamins A, B, C, D and E, plus zinc, magnesium, iron, and copper – provide benefits for their joints, bones, immune health, and energy.3
With 240 beef-flavoured tablets in every pack, MultiVitality provides superior nutritional support and is excellent value. Give whole or crumble over food at mealtimes.
MultiVitality Senior is a multivitamin formulated for dogs in their senior years (typically 8 years and older, depending on their breed). With a similar tasty beef flavour, it's easy to transition your dog from MultiVitality to MultiVitality Senior when the time comes.
This senior version provides higher quantities of the vitamins and minerals most needed by senior dogs, to compensate for the body's reduced nutrient absorption rate. These include B vitamins to help boost energy levels and support heart health, choline for the maintenance of normal liver function, and selenium for the normal function of the immune system.
Other key ingredients include zinc and copper, which contribute to normal cognitive function and the normal functioning of the nervous system, to help keep your dog as fit and healthy as possible into their old age.
Dog-calming supplements
Whether it's a nervous temperament or separation anxiety, a change in routine or loud noises like firework displays, many dogs could benefit from a calming supplement to help improve their wellbeing.
MagiCalm® contains dual-source magnesium to help lower muscle tension,4 chamomile for its natural calming properties, and a B vitamin complex to encourage mental and psychological wellbeing.5 The soothing, gentle formulation also contains the essential amino acids L−trytophan and L−tyrosine to promote a sense of calm.
MagiCalm can be given all year round, or in preparation for an event such as bonfire night. Tablets are available in one 60-tablet pack size.
Read more about preparing your dog for Bonfire Night, or read canine nutritionist Jodie Woodward's advice on how nutrition can help your dog's anxiety.
Supplements for Cats
Joint health is also a primary concern for cat owners, so Flexi-Joints for Cats provides the same, high-quality blend of glucosamine and chondroitin as the dog product, with added vitamin C to support cartilage6 and vitamin E for its antioxidant benefits.7
The delicious beef-flavoured tablets can be given whole or crumbled over food, to help tempt even the fussiest of cats.
By supporting the body's declining levels of glucosamine and chondroitin, Flexi-Joints for Cats can help support mobility throughout life, and is suitable for cats aged 9 months and over.
Other Pet Supplements
Some Healthspan supplements are suitable for cats and dogs, which can be particularly helpful for multi-pet households. These include Pet Pro Digest and Glossy Coat Omega.
Pet Pro Digest contains advanced probiotic strains Bifidobacterium lactis and Enterococcus faecium to promote live friendly bacteria in the body – particularly in the digestive system, where they can help boost your pet's protective intestinal microflora.
Pet Pro Digest can also support your pet's dental health and energy levels, and is easy to mix into their food. The powder is also easy to dose according to your pet's size.
Read vet Richard Allport's thoughts on probiotics for pets, including when they are most beneficial and how to choose the right one.
Glossy Coat Omega is another multi-benefit supplement for cats and dogs, providing high-strength omega fish oils. The advanced blend of omega 3, 6 and 9 supports your cat or dog's heart and brain,8 as well as their joints, skin, and coat – helping to combat dry, itchy skin and improve the coat's shine.
Capsules can be given whole or dispensed over food.
Find out more
Pets are part of the family, so Healthspan works with a handpicked selection of pet health experts to deliver the best cat and dog vitamins in the UK, leading the way with innovative ingredients and formulations.
If you have any questions or need more information, there is plenty of support available. Feel free to get in touch with our fully trained customer advisors – available seven days a week – at our UK-based call centre. Please see the Contact Us page.
Alternatively, have a look at the comprehensive pet health advice section, covering everything from joint care to nutrition.
1Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage.
2Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function and the maintenance of normal bones. Copper contributes to the maintenance of normal connective tissues. Manganese contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and the normal formation of connective tissue. Zinc contributes to the normal metabolism of fatty acids and the maintenance of normal bones.
3Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal vision and the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function and the maintenance of normal bones. Copper contributes to the maintenance of normal connective tissues. Zinc contributes to the normal metabolism of fatty acids and the maintenance of normal bones. Magnesium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and contributes to normal muscle function. Iron contributes to normal oxygen transport in the body.
4Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system, contributes to normal muscle function and contributes to normal psychological function.
5Vitamins B6 and B12 contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system and normal psychological function.
6Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage.
7Vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress
8DHA and EPD contributes to the maintenance of normal blood triglyceride levels and contribute to the normal function of the heart. DHA contributes to normal brain function